Producing urea from cyanamide



salts used it nece L135, 633 QIDDA, NOR-J27 $13K SIEEG To all whom may concern-.-

Be it known that I, For}, T i, citizen of Norway, residing at Odds, horwsy, have invented certain new and useful improve ments in the Producing of l'res from (you amide (for which I have mode application in Norway May 7, 1919), of which she following is u S}')G'lfifitl0lh Urea is, as is well known, a very valuable fertilizingugont and various methods have been proposed to produce the some.

i As a star :mziteriul for the manufac sure of urea, commercial calcium cyarunnirle has usually used, am it been proposed. to submit this material a treatment with acids or acid salts. The employment of acids however expensive when acid ry to employ es:- cessively greet amounts rheroof, which is a drawback be ause the consent of nitro en in the product becomes lower than desirsole.

The conversion of the cyunsmirle into urea is commonly supposed to he (lue to the hydrogen loss of the acids or acid sells.

lVhen heating calcium cysnumicle alone (so which the amount of water is arlclerl, which is necessary for the fornisiion of urea) and which therefore will contain JMOH), itis shus only possible to obtain an inconsirlerelilc formation of urea, 51s the cysnoznicle is chiefly converted inlo (ii-rayondiamicle or ammonia, according; to the temperature usecl.

When resting commercial calcium cyanarnide (known in the oracle us lime ni rogen) with neutral or basic salts in presence of water it might therefore he sup posed shut the cysnsrnide, owing to the presonce of water, would chiefly be converfieil into di-c yon-(liemide or ammonia.

According to the present invention, how ever, the astonishing observation has been made, time cyanumides when employing the Water-soluble salts of the alkaiies or the slits line earths, under ceri tain conditions may be converted (Wholly or partly) into urea. The invention does not, however, inciucle "the aforesaid acid suits with which, as mencloned, the formeiiiou of urea is eausesi by hydrogen ions,

The exmn h to which the formation of urea takes place is dependent upon the temperasure, the amount of "Water, the propulsion or ro'lio of mixture heiween the cyensmide and the sel s in question, the pressure and upon the izime of rescoion. Also the iorrouiion Specification of Letters ."eatent. Pggtenl g June 33, we?

SERGE: GYA;

{serial 388,031.

urea is different for the diliereut sales, the conversion taking place slower or faster, whereas also the amountof other conversion proclucis, such as ammonia and iii-cyan- (llil11l .l3 which will be formed may vary. By choosing the moss favorable conciitions, the inventor has, however, succeeclecl in irons forming the major purl; of the cysneniieie nitrogen irrco urea. 4

The non-acid salts of the alkali Diesels snol of the slimline earth metals which are soluble in. water and especially she normal nitrates or basic nitrates (non-acid salts}, are espe ei l suitable in the grocess.

vvhen using Ca(N'(, it has been found iii the rising temperature will further the formation of urea. At 4L-0-50 C. and even. when employing a sufiicient excess of Water, 4 formation of uroz is proportionally ineoosiderahle and takes place very slowly. Even offier a time of reection of 24 hours considerable amounts of cyanamide are undecomposed. A: an increasing temperature the time of reaction is shortened at the same LlIIlB as the formation of urea increases, and

oi; 80--l00 C. rile predominant part of the nitrogen may be obtained as urea in the course of a very short time, whereas the loss of nitrogen in the form of ammonia is in significant.

At temperatures above C. the conditions for the formation become favorable. Thus, when heating 6 hours at C. and using 100 parts of cysnsmide-l-lilfl ports of commercial Qs(NO,),+"Z7 parts of wslier, half of the nitrogen is driven ofi' es ammonia, whereas only a fifth was found to be converted into urea. The rest consisted chiefly of cyanorniile and (ii-cyou-(iiemicle.

ill; still higher temperatures, the formsiion of ammonia will increase further.

is is therefi'ue 'vvanteil so use temperaiures shove 100 C. for the formation of urea, special measures must be taken to avoid an, essential loss of ammonia, and good resuits are; obtained by adjusting the time of reaction anal the admixture of water according'to the temperature selected. By heating to -130 Q. and using 100 parts of cysnami le+l00 parts of commercial Ca (NO 20 ports of Water, abous 83 per cent of the converted cyunarnide were transformed into urea before the end of 60 minutes. At the some time the loss of ammonia was insignifi- The production of ammonia from cyanby treatment with aqueous salt solun, as calcium nitrate, is already run; but according to the above-mened, this is not the object of the present inn, as the formation of ammonia has to no reduced asmuch as possible in order that highest possible amount of urea may be timed. lsc it is known to mix the cyanamide 1 substances which absorb water easily, such: calcium. nitrate, in order to produce nduating product, namely, a fertilizer tune. in these methods, however, isi es are taken to prevent chemical re trom telring place between the com- 1621535, the mixtures being subjected to cooling, whereby a formation of urea of course is precluded.

According to the present invention it is thither important that suilicient wateris at hand for c complete conversion into urea. Theoretically, about 46 parts of water to .100 parts of commercial calcium cyanamide will necessary for a complete formation of nice but owing to evaporation, an excess of should be used over this amount.

necessary water may be in the form 9 Willlfi! of crystallization of the salt in 21 itself, but usually still more favorable results are obtained by a further admixture of water.

Thus, by the employmentof calcium ni-' irate, it would be necessary 1n order to obtain a complete, decomposition into urea, to

emcunts otcalciumnitrate in proortion to cyanamide, wlnch would be Besides the decomposition into would take place at a slower rate. According to the present method, the process, if calcium nitrate is used, is suitabl carried out as follows: 100 parts calcium n1- trcte, which are dissolved in'20-80 partsof are added to 100 parts of commercial calcium cyanamide, whereupon the mixture subjected to the aforesaid conditions of resection.

ccording to the invention the water we ich is necessary for the process ma be d ied to the mixture of cyanamide and the a in. question, or the salts may be disved in. water or mixed therewith beforessolvcd inwater or have water mixed with it. A

in connection with thevformerly. known methods, it; is supposed that the salt to be used must he water-absorbing or contain water and that it must melt easily at a low temperature, for which reason the salt in melted state was mixed with cyanamide.

rccording to the present invention this condition is quite unnecessary, ne essary that the salt in question is somesl'. soluble in water. It is not necessa so much water as to dissolve the-salt,

. phosphoric acid, whereby Also the cyanamide may beforehand.

which most ofgthe urea because it only is Instead of water it may often prove profitable to employ water vapors partly or exclusively. Y The exertion of pressure will act to accelerate the formation of urea. A fast and complete formation of urea is further obtainedif the free lime of the cyanamide is temperatures lie between about 80 C. and

about 150 C. Withsalts generally of the class abovereferred to, the most favorabletemperatures lie-between 70 C. and 160 C According to this process one can, in a hitherto unknown manner, and iii a very sim 1e, and technical easily practicable met 0d, convert the essential part of the nitrogen of the cyanamide into the form of a very valuable fertilizer product. A further adva'nta e is this, that a product may be ob-v tained all the nitrogen in a stable form, whereby such complications are avoided which would irectly which contains practically.

arise if the nitrogen were decomposed to ammonia, after which this would have to be combined with acids and a new duced.- v i Further the product is obtained in a. dry form which b means of known methods of working mayli thei1 pram-size, which is desired.

product prose it must be regarded asa great advantageto the industry that inexpensive and be The material can be mixed with othtr' fereasily-obtainable substances may tilizers which contain nitrogen, otash, or valua le mixed ferti more are produced. I claim: i-

. 1. A method fo the conversion of cyane brought into the shape and 4 amide material into urea, which comprises treating the cya'namide in the presence of water in excess of, the amount sufiicicnt react with all unslaked lime. in the,, cyan amide usedand the amount theoretical};

necessary to react with all of the .cyanami e present, with-the formation of urea with a non-acid salt of an alkali-fonnin metal, at

a temperature above 70 0., and high enough to causea lar part of the cyanamide to be converted mto urea,

converted into-ammonia. 2. A. method for conversion cfcyanbut below that at formed would ba- 125.

amide material into urea, which comprises treating the cyaiiamide in the presence of water in excess "of the amount sufllcient to amide used and the amount theoretically necessary to zea'ct with ell. of the cyanamicle present, withthe 'formation'ot' urea with a nitt'ete of an elkelhforniing metal, at gt temperature above C, and high eno u%h to cause at large part of the cyanamide to e converted into urea, but below that at which "most of the urea formed would be converted into ammonia.

3. A. method forthe conversion of cyanemiole material into urea, which oomprises treating the cyenemide in the presence of water with e non-acid salt/of an alkali-tormin metal, at :1 temperature above 3., but he ow that at which most of the urea formed! would be converted into ammonia.

t. In'the production of urea by treating eyenemide with water in the presence of a seit acting to aid the transformation of Ill-' trogen tro nthe form of cyanamide into the form of unee, under the action of heat, the herein described improvement which comprises the eclclition of e none/dd salt as the enemideinto urea and conducting the said transformation between 80 Q. and-160 C:

50 In the production of ni'eeby treating cyenemide with Water in the presenco of a e'elt ecting to aid the transformation of ni- $elt to-eidthe said trensfotmation of cy- .7

trogen from the form of cyanamide into the form of urea, under the action of heat, the herein described improvement which comprises the addition of calcium nitrate as the salt to ed the said transformation of cyan amide into uree and conducting the said transformation between 80 C. and 160 C.

6. A method for the conversion of cyanamide materiel into urea, which comprises treatiwg eyanemide in. the presence of water, with e eolfublenon-ecid salt "of an alkaliformin metal; at a. temperature above 80 C. but helowthet at which most of the urea formed would be converted into ammonia.

' 7. A method for the conversion of cyenamide material into uree, which comprises treating eyenemitle in the presence of water, with e nitrate of an alkali-forming metal,

at a temperature not below 80 (3., but be-'- low that at which most of the urea formed would be converted into ammonia.

8. A process for the conversion of cyanamide meterial into urea, which comprisestfeating cyanamicle in the presence of water,

with calcium nitrate, at e temperature-not below 80 ill, but below that at which most of the urea formed would be converted into.

eniznonie. t s

n testimony whereof l ttfilX m signature. Y EIL LIE. 

